The Soul Tree: Poems and Photographs of the Southern Appalachians

The Soul Tree presents luminous photographs from the Blue Ridge Parkway and lyric poems written in resonance with the images. Each page offers a unique layout design created to elevate and inspire the reader with both the power of art and the power of nature. While all the images present the vistas and details of the region, the poetry, deeply rooted in the nature imagery of the sacred texts, speaks of the universal fusion of internal and external realilties. The poems illuminate themes of vision, faith, healing and, ultimately, the vital sacrality of nature. Poet Laura Hope-Gill and photographer John Fletcher's stunning renderings of the land capture both the form and the spirit of the mountains beloved by so many.